NCCARF Adaptation Research Networks in VictoriaNCCARF’s Adaptation Research Networks are a community of researchers and practitioners working together to progress climate change adaptation knowledge. Established in 2008, there are eight Networks representing various themes. Each Network is convened at an Australian research institution, chosen through a competitive bidding process. In under four years, they have made a significant and grow-ing contribution towards the advancement of climate change adaptation knowledge across the nation. With over 5000 members, the Networks effectively connect and rapidly communicate with researchers and research end users in government and vulnerable sectors and communities. Three of the Adaptation Research Networks are hosted in Victoria. The Primary Industries Network, convened by Profes-sor Snow Barlow, and the Social, Economic and Institutional Dimensions Network, convened by Professor Jon Barnett, are hosted by the University of Melbourne and the Emergency Management Network, convened by Professor John Handmer, is hosted by RMIT University. Network partners provide in-kind support for Network activities and often receive support from the Network hub to run regional events and activities.

Climate change adaptation knowledge for VictoriaWhat is NCCARF?

The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility is a unique venture established by the Australian Government in 2008 to harness and coordinate the capabilities of Australia’s researchers, to generate and communicate the knowledge decision-makers need for successful adaptation to climate change. NCCARF fulfils its mission by:

• Building capacity in research and end user communities, principally through its eight thematic Adaptation Research Networks;

• Generating knowledge for adaptation through its research programs;

• Effectively delivering knowledge through the NCCARF annual conference, workshops and master classes, reports, policy briefs and information sheets, the website and social media.

Research Portfolio Factsheet 17:Victoria

NCCARF research programs delivering useful results for VictoriaThe National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility manages two research areas, the Adaptation Research Grants Program (ARGP), with a $36 million budget (including cash leveraging) and 96 projects, and the Synthesis and Integrative Research Program (SIRP), with a $6 million budget and 40 projects. Together, these seek to address knowledge gaps and deliver the information decision-makers need to successfully adapt Australia to climate change. Research projects in the ARGP and SIRP can be clustered to address the needs of particular locations and critical adaptation challenges. NCCARF is producing a series of fact sheets to show where information can be found in NCCARF’s research programs to support decision-making and policy development to address critical adaptation challenges.

This fact sheet outlines thirty-one projects addressing challenges of adaptation, that comprise $8 million of NCCARF funding in Victoria.

In order to run activities nationally, Networks have partners across Australia. Victoria Network partners include: • Emergency Management: RMIT University; Climate Centre, Monash University;

Australian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council• Human Health: Monash University; University of Melbourne• Social, Economic and Institutional Dimensions: Center for Policy Studies, Monash

University; Australian Indigenous Studies Program, Melbourne University• Terrestrial Biodiversity: University of Melbourne; Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne• Water Resources and Freshwater Biodiversity: Murray Darling Freshwater Research

Centre, La Trobe University; Melbourne University; UniWater, Monash University; Museum of Victoria

Collectively the Networks have also provided over $60,000 in travel and research grants for students and early career researchers in Victoria: • Kiara O’Gorman: Multi-trophic relationships between Australian Mistletoe and their

hosts and herbivores – The role of allelochemicals• James Camac: The interactive effects of fire and climate change on vegetation in the

Australian Alps• Jessica Roberts: Predicting the climate niche of kangaroos and their response in a

changing climate• Verity Miles: Assessing predicted impacts of global warning on cool temperate

rainforest biota• Jonathon Thompson: Adaptations of ant communities to changing fire regimes in forest

in northeast Victoria• Louise Romania: Hybridisation and rapid evolution in eucalypts of the Murray-Darling

Basin

PrincipalInvestigator Institution

Final report availability1,2

REGIONAL ADAPTATION STUDIESSupporting evidence-based adaptation decision-making in Australia’s states and territories – Synthesis and learning from research to date Jennifer Cane AECOM 30-Apr-2013

NCCARF RESEARCH FUNDED IN VICTORIAA spatial vulnerability analysis of urban populations to extreme heat events in Australian capital cities

Margaret Loughnan Monash University 31-Jul-2012

Enhancing the resilience of seaports to a changing climate Darryn McEvoy RMIT University 31-Aug-2012

Agent based simulation framework for improved understanding and enhancement of community and organisational resilience to extreme events Lin Padgham RMIT University 30-Sep-2012

Leading gifted horses to water – The economics of climate adaptation in government-sponsored irrigation in Victoria Lin Crase La Trobe University 28-Feb-2013

Building the climate resilience of arid zone freshwater biota – Identifying and prioritising processes and scales for management Jenny Davis Monash University 31-Mar-2013

Developing management strategies to mitigate increased coextinction rates of plant-dwelling insects through global climate change Melinda Moir University of Melbourne 31-Mar-2013

Exploring the adaptive capacity of emergency management using agent-based modelling Lin Padgham RMIT University 31-Mar-2013

Impacts of elevated temperature and CO2 on the critical processes underpinning resilience of aquatic ecosystems Ross Thompson Monash University 31-Mar-2013

The legal, institutional and cultural barriers to adaptation to sea-level rise in Australia Jon Barnett University of Melbourne 31-Mar-2013

Valuing adaptation under rapid change – Anticipatory adjustments, maladaptation and transformation Roger Jones Victoria University 31-Mar-2013

What would a climate-adapted Australian settlement look like? David Griggs Monash University 31-Mar-2013

Indigenous voices in climate change adaptation – Addressing the challenges of diverse knowledge systems in the Barmah-Millewa David Griggs Monash University 31-May-2013

Learning from the past, adapting in the future – Identifying pathways to successful adaptation in Indigenous communities Meg Parsons University of Melbourne 31-May-2013

Living change – Adaptive housing responses to climate change in the town camps of Alice Springs Ralph Horne RMIT University 31-May-2013

Displaced twice? – Investigating the impact of Queensland floods on the wellbeing and settlement of a cohort of men from refugee backgrounds living in Brisbane and Toowoomba

IgnacioCorrea-Velez La Trobe University Contact

NHMRC3

NCCARF RESEARCH RELATING TO VICTORIADrought and the future of small inland towns Anthony Kiem University of Newcastle 01-Jun-2010

Impacts and adaptation response of infrastructure and communities to heatwaves – The southern Australian experience of 2009 Jim Reeves Queensland University

of Technology 30-Jun-2010

Limits to climate change adaptation for small inland communities affected by drought Anthony Kiem University of Newcastle 31-Aug-2011

Climate change adaptation in the Australian Alps – Impacts, strategies, limits and management Catherine Pickering Griffith University 31-Oct-2011

Development of tools that allow local governments to translate climate change impacts on assets into strategic and operational financial and asset management plans

Jacqueline Balston

University of South Australia 31-Aug-2012

Recovery from disaster experience – Its effect on perceptions of climate change risk and on adaptive behaviours to prevent, prepare, and respond to future climate contingencies Helen Boon James Cook University 31-Oct-2012

Pathways to climate adapted and healthy low income housing Guy Barnett CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship 28-Feb-2013

Determining high risk vegetation communities and plants species in relation to climate change in the Australian alpine region

Catherine Pickering Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

Developing adaptively – The role and capacities of private sector development institutions in urban climate change adaptation Jago Dodson Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

Extreme heat and climate change – Adaptation in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities Peng Bi University of Adelaide 31-Mar-2013

Optimal habitat protection and restoration for climate adaptation Richard Fuller University of Queensland 31-Mar-2013

Novel methods for managing freshwater refuges against climate change in southern Australia Belinda Robson Murdoch University 31-Mar-2013

The architecture of resilient landscapes – Scenario modelling to reveal best-practice design principles for climate adaptation Veronica Doerr CSIRO 31-Mar-2013

The right tool for the job – Achieving climate change adaptation outcomes through improved disaster management policies, planning and risk management strategies Michael Howes Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

Water trade, climate change and irrigator adaptability in the Murray-Darling Basin Sarah Wheeler University of South Australia 31-Mar-2013

1Completed final reports are available for download at www.nccarf.edu.au2Availability dates are estimated using draft report due dates and time for the review process3These projects are being managed by NHMRC who can advise on availability of outputs - www.nhmrc.gov.au

Projects in NCCARF’s research programs delivering useful results for Victoria

Supporting evidence-based adaptation decision-making in Australia’s states and territories – Synthesis and learning from research to dateJennifer Cane, AECOMNCCARF has commissioned two institutions to produce eight reports, one for each state and territory, targeted explicitly at policymakers. These reports draw together state-of-the-art knowledge of vulnerability to and impacts of climate change, and potential adaptation responses and strategies. This knowledge will emerge from research programs funded by NCCARF and more widely. The projects will deliver knowledge to decision makers seeking to address the challenge of climate change. The outputs of the projects will be presented as adaptation handbooks for decision- and policy-makers, outlining the key challenges of climate change in each state and territory, and strategies to address these challenges through adaptation.

AECOM will deliver seven reports for the states and territories in mainland Australia. Through using a single provider, NCCARF expects a uniformity of approach and knowledge delivery, which should encourage knowledge adoption and meaningful interactions between states and territories to address common challenges.

A spatial vulnerability analysis of urban populations to extreme heat events in Australian capital citiesMargaret Loughnan, Monash UniversityThis study will identify threshold weather conditions for mortality in Australian capital cities, describe spatial distribution of human vulnerability to extreme heat, and provide information to target emergency responses during heat waves. Baseline risk assessments will be used to predict changes in vulnerability in relation to predicted changes in climate extremes associated with climate change.

Enhancing the resilience of seaports to a changing climateDarren McEvoy, RMIT UniversityThis project aims to better understand the vulnerability of critical seaport infrastructure (structural and functional), and to develop new knowledge and methodologies for enhancing port resilience to future climate change. The research will address three research objectives: to gain a better understanding of the complex mix of climate and non-climate drivers that are likely to affect port operations; to assess the vulnerability of core port infrastructure and identify appropriate adaptation measures for enhancing resilience; and, to assess the vulnerability of other elements at risk in the wider port environment and identify adaptation measures. Close engagement with policy and practitioner stakeholders will ensure the deliverables will be ‘fit for purpose’.

Agent based simulation framework for improved understanding and enhancement of community and organisational resilience to extreme eventsLin Padgham, RMIT UniversityAgent-based modelling is a means of analysing systems by simulating the actions and interactions of the individual elements or ‘agents’ they comprise. This project aims to develop an agent-based simulation platform that allows emergency management stakeholders to explore complex multi-scale, multi-actor, emergency management interactions under uncertain future conditions in order to promote more effective governance arrangements. The platform is also intended to be a long term decision support tool suitable for the development of agent-based simulations which address a range of extreme events, such as coastal flooding and heat stress.

Leading gifted horses to water – The economics of climate adaptation in government-sponsored irrigation in VictoriaLin Crase, La Trobe UniversityIrrigated agriculture accounts for over 30% of Victoria’s agricultural output. This sector is highly exposed to predicted climate change, and irrigators must adapt to manage with less water. Government response to water reform has included water buybacks, but also public investment in irrigation infrastructure. However, water users are not obliged to pay water prices that reflect the cost of this infrastructure. This project aims to understand farmers’ willingness to pay water and infrastructure tariffs under different pricing regimes and water availability scenarios; model the financial impacts of different scenarios at farm level and from the perspective of irrigation supply corporations; and map a reform path that ensures gifted assets do not hinder the future adaptation of water users. It will provide vital information to irrigation supply businesses about the sustainability of different pricing regimes under alternative water availability and infrastructure scenarios.

Building the climate resilience of arid zone freshwater biota – Identifying and prioritising processes and scales for managementJenny Davis, Monash UniversityImportant wetlands in the Lake Eyre Basin, Western Plateau and Indian Ocean Drainage Divisions of Australia’s arid zone include springs, relic streams, rockholes and river pools. Climate change, including rising temperatures and more variable rainfall, will alter connections between these sites, fragment existing habitats and force aquatic animals to follow suitable habitat. Understanding the processes that allow arid zone aquatic communities to persist is critical to understanding how the environment can be managed to help animals adapt to climate change in this region. This project will produce national management guidelines for planning, policy and management decisions and actions across the Australian arid zone.

Developing management strategies to mitigate increased co-extinction rates of plant dwelling insects through global climate changeMelinda Moir, University of Melbourne Co-extinction occurs when a species goes extinct as a result of the extinction of the species it depends on. As 30-40% of plant-dwelling insects and other species depend on a host, losses to biodiversity may be extremely high if host species are extinguished. Climate change is predicted to reduce the population size and range of many plants, so there is the potential for climate-induced co-extinction to threaten Australia’s biodiversity. This project will develop indicators of the degree to which insect species might be prone to co-extinction across Australia and identify cost-effective

conservation strategies to combat this.

Exploring the adaptive capacity of emergency management using agent-based modellingLin Padgham, RMIT UniversityLittle is known about how societies, organisations and individuals are responding or might respond to the challenges of climate changes. This project uses agent-based modelling that combines social science research and technical computing to explore a range of potential future scenarios at a scale that is not possible without computer support. It provides the opportunity for a wide variety of stakeholders to work together with the community using a practical tool to determine solutions to evolving changing climate impacts.

Impacts of elevated temperature and CO2 on the critical processes underpinning resilience of aquatic ecosystems Ross Thompson, Monash UniversityClimate change will affect freshwater ecosystems through changes in temperature, the amount of sunlight reaching the stream and changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide. These impacts could affect the processes that support animal life in streams, including the amount of algae and how fast nutrients are recycled and used. One way in which those effects could be reduced would be to plant trees close to streams to provide shade to reduce stream temperatures. This project uses experimental streams in Victoria to determine the potential effects of climate change on the life-supporting processes of streams. Data from streams with and without riverbank vegetation will be used to assess the potential for replanting trees to reduce the effects of climate change.

The legal, institutional and cultural barriers to adaptation to sea‐level rise in Australia Jon Barnett, University of MelbourneThis project will investigate how legal, institutional, and cultural factors help or hinder effective, efficient and equitable adaptation to sea‐level rise. Using the Eurobodalla Shire (NSW) and Westernport Bay region (Vic) as case studies, the project will review state and local government policies, local media, council decisions and conduct interviews with local people including council decision makers, the private sector and community groups to compile a list of barriers to, and enablers of, adaptation. It will devise guidelines to help decision makers identify and overcome these barriers.

Valuing adaptation under rapid change – Anticipatory adjustments, maladaptation and transformationRoger Jones, Victoria UniversityThe project will develop a robust economic methodology to support decision‐making for adaptation actions and investments ranging from adjustment to transformation. It will identify and respond to the limitations in current approaches and explore methods for a “good” adaptation test that accounts for existing information and new learning over time. Researchers will investigate four key elements contributing to the economics of adaptation: information, regulation and standards, institutions and public investment.

What would a climate-adapted Australian settlement look like?David Griggs, Monash UniversityThis project will use two study sites in Gippsland, Victoria, Inverloch and Sandy Point, to forecast what a small urban coastal settlement in Australia will look like in 2030. These communities will be asked to envision how they would like their locality to be in 2030. They will be presented with information on how the climate may be in 2030 and where their township is heading given the present trends, then given various choices that could change these trajectories. The outcomes will be used to develop a national framework for decision-making for small urban settlements as a guide for local communities to build and create their own futures within a climate changed world.

Indigenous voices in climate change adaptation – Addressing the challenges of diverse knowledge systems in the Barmah-MillewaDavid Griggs, Monash UniversityThis project will work with the Yorta Yorta people of the Barmah-Millewa floodplain to adapt to the challenges of climate change by drawing on traditional knowledge known only to them. A unique database will be used to combine traditional knowledge with more conventional forms of information, such as climate and vegetation, to improve the way natural resources are managed. Trained volunteers from the local community will accompany elders to local places of cultural significance in the Barmah-Millewa National Forest and record knowledge associated with these places with voice recordings, photography and GPS. The data will be entered into a custom designed GIS database which will securely protect the indigenous knowledge while combining it with scientific data to produce products such as interactive 3D visualisation. These products will help Indigenous people, managers and policymakers to make better management decisions utilising the best of Indigenous and conventional knowledge.

Learning from the past, adapting in the future – Identifying pathways to successful adaptation in Indigenous communitiesMeg Parsons, University of MelbourneThis project will examine how Indigenous individuals, households, communities, businesses, and institutions perceive and respond to climate variability and extreme weather events, and explore the importance of climate change relative to other risks Indigenous communities face. It will identify entry points for developing and implementing equitable, efficient and appropriate climate change adaptation plans and policies for Australian Indigenous communities. Using case studies and a systematic review of experiences from across Australia and internationally, it will produce information to assist Indigenous communities and decision makers develop community-level adaptation strategies, and suggest strategies to enhance adaptive capacity within the communities.

Living Change – Adaptive housing responses to climate change in the town camps of Alice SpringsRalph Horne, RMIT UniversityThis project will investigate how residents in Alice Springs’ town camps have adapted their living practices in response to the delivery of new and refurbished houses. Working with the Tangentyere Council the research will focus on how people maintain comfort levels in the houses and employ healthy-living practices involving water and

REGIONAL ADAPTATION STUDIES

NCCARF RESEARCH FUNDED IN VICTORIA

energy use. The aim of the project is to identify areas where energy and water use can be made more sustainable, and provide a framework that supports residents and tenancy management organisations to develop and promote resilient community practices that are capable of adapting to the effects of climate change.

Displaced twice? – Investigating the impact of Queensland floods on the wellbeing and settlement of a cohort of men from refugee backgrounds living in Brisbane and ToowoombaIgnacio Correa-Velez, La Trobe UniversityIn December 2010, a longitudinal study of health and settlement among 233 refugee men living in urban and regional southeast Queensland (SettleMEN project) was completed. Findings revealed significant improvements over time in their subjective health status. At least 40% of the SettleMEN participants, however, live in areas subsequently affected by the devastating southeast Queensland floods in January 2011. This project will compare the recent pre-disaster measures of health and settlement and offer a rare opportunity to investigate the impact of an environmental disaster on a resettled refugee population. The study will generate new knowledge of elements and resources that best support resettled refugee men and their families to adapt successfully to environmental disasters.

Drought and the future of small inland townsAnthony Kiem, University of NewcastleAustralia’s vulnerability to climate variability and change has been highlighted by recent droughts. Climate change may increase the frequency, intensity and duration of droughts, requiring robust adaptation strategies. This project assesses two rural Victorian case study sites that have been impacted by the current drought, Donald and Mildura. The objective is to provide a whole-of-government, business and community perspective on adaptation measures being put in place as a result of previous droughts, and areas where future adaptation measures need to be developed following reflection on ways of better preparing for such events.

Impacts and adaptation response of infrastructure and communities to heat waves – The southern Australian experience of 2009Jim Reeves, Queensland University of TechnologyThis study details the impact, vulnerability and adaptation responses, at state and local government level, to the unprecedented heatwave that struck Victoria and South Australia in early 2009. It focused on the failures in utilities and related infrastructure, and on emergency management and human health impacts. It analyses institutional responses and identifies lessons learnt for sectors, regions and communities.

Limits to climate change adaptation for small inland communities affected by droughtAnthony Kiem, University of NewcastleDroughts are, and always will be, part of the Australian climate and it is impossible to prevent these natural disasters from occurring. This project will provide, for two case study areas, a whole of government, business, and community perspective on: context and impact of drought on water supply and availability; context and impact of drought on society, economy and mental health; adaptation measures being put in place as a result of the knowledge gained from previous drought experiences (e.g. use of alternate water supplies, water reuse, water saving projects, drought awareness programs, change in town focus from agricultural to tourism or mining etc); and areas where future adaptation measures need to be developed following reflection on ways for better preparing for such events.

Climate change adaptation in the Australian Alps – Impacts, strategies, limits and managementCatherine Pickering, Griffith UniversityAlpine ecosystems are considered one of the four most at risk ecosystems from climate change in Australia. Assessing ecological, physical, economic, technological and social thresholds that may limit adaptation strategies of conservation organisations and the tourism industry in the region will assist these organisations in better focusing their efforts to minimise the negative impact of climate change. This research will provide a methodology, a case study and important insights into the conflict that can arise between the objectives of different stakeholders in dealing with climate changes change such as conservation and tourism organisations. This research will also establish benchmarks for other regions about how to examine limits to adaptations and how social, economic, physical and environmental factors interact.

Development of tools that allow local governments to translate climate change impacts on assets into strategic and operational financial and asset management plansJacqueline Balston, University of South AustraliaThis project aims to identify key council assets vulnerable to climate change, determine the likely impacts of climate change on council assets, undertake an extensive financial risk modelling exercise including full life-cycle economic analysis of options for councils to reduce climate change asset risk, and develop the necessary modifications to asset management and financial sustainability tools so councils may evaluate climate change action scenarios at the management planning level.

Recovery from disaster experience – Its effect on perceptions of climate change risk and on adaptive behaviours to prevent, prepare, and respond to future climate contingenciesHelen Boon, James Cook UniversityThis project aims to identify private and public sector groups’ beliefs, behaviours and policies that have supported community resilience to a disaster event and construct a model with findings to help implement appropriate and equitable emergency management policies and mitigation strategies for climate change events.

Pathways to climate adapted and healthy low income housingGuy Barnett, CSIRO Climate Adaptation FlagshipThis project aims to model the vulnerability of public housing assets and tenants to selected climate change impacts. It will scope the potential co-benefits of climate adaptation action for human health and well-being and identify and evaluate key

engineering, behavioural and institutional climate adaptation pathways applicable to other low income housing.

Determining high risk vegetation communities and plants species in relation to climate change in the Australian alpine regionCatherine Pickering, Griffith UniversityThe Australian Alps are one of the three most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change in Australia. It’s an important biodiversity ark with more than 400 species of plants, 25 of which occur nowhere else. Snow cover is already 30% less than in the 1950s. With longer, warmer, summers come other threats including bushfires, weeds and feral animals. There is nowhere higher for Australian alpine plants to go – how can we conserve them in a warmer world? This project will prioritise strategies to increase the resilience of plants to these threats. It will assess the characteristics of plants such as their height, leaf size and shape and how they reproduce to determine which will decline with less snow and which will move in. This will enable resource allocation to maintain key refuges, control weeds and feral animals, and manage increased recreational use of the area.

Developing adaptively – The role and capacities of private sector development institutions in urban climate change adaptationJago Dodson, Griffith UniversityHow equipped is the private urban development sector – developers and financial institutions – to respond to the task of adapting new urban developments to climate change? This study will investigate the capacity of developers and financial institutions to develop and fund climate‐adapted urban developments.

Extreme heat and climate change – Adaptation in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities Peng Bi, University of Adelaide Do cultural, socio‐economic and language factors affect a person’s vulnerability to climate change? This project will study culturally diverse communities in three Australian cities, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, to identify factors that may affect people’s vulnerability to climate change, and particularly hot weather. It will identify groups of people that may be more vulnerable, explore the behaviour they use to adapt to extreme heat, and their perceptions of climate change and recommend ways to increase their capacity to adapt, such as cross‐cultural information materials.

Optimal habitat protection and restoration for climate adaptationRichard Fuller, University of QueenslandResearch has shown that many species are likely to go extinct because of climate change, but which species these will be, and what we can do to prevent these extinctions remain uncertain. This project will predict how species and habitats will move in response to climate change over the next century, then work out how much it will cost to protect existing habitat and restore new habitat where this would help species survive.

Novel methods for managing freshwater refuges against climate change in southern AustraliaBelinda Robson, Murdoch UniversityFreshwater refuges are areas that provide important safe habitat for aquatic animals and plants. This project aims to determine which methods for managing refuges are most effective as part of a climate change adaptation strategy for freshwater biodiversity. Researchers will evaluate the usefulness of each method to provide knowledge that environmental managers can incorporate into climate change adaptation strategies.

The architecture of resilient landscapes – Scenario modelling to reveal best-practice design principles for climate adaptationVeronica Doerr, CSIRO One of the most cost-effective ways to help Australia’s native species survive climate change is to ensure their populations are as large and connected as possible. This means that management to protect Australia’s biodiversity will need to happen over whole landscapes, not just in national parks. So do we need lots of corridors or more habitats? This project will evaluate different approaches to managing biodiversity across landscapes and calculate how likely they are to improve the resilience of native species.

The right tool for the job – Achieving climate change adaptation outcomes through improved disaster management policies, planning and risk management strategiesMichael Howes, Griffith UniversityAustralia is highly susceptible to climate change impacts such as more frequent and/or intense floods and bushfires. There is considerable uncertainty about when and how disaster management organisations should address climate change adaptation and the priority that should be granted compared to other problems. This project will create a nationally-consistent approach with a supporting set of risk assessment tools to identify potential conflict, improve stakeholder engagement, and integrate climate change adaptation into disaster management. The tools are derived from a comparison of case studies including the 2010-11 Queensland floods; the 2009 Victorian bushfires; the 2011 Perth hills bushfires and state-wide risk profiles. The research will improve policymaking, planning and emergency risk management by decision makers at all levels of government.

Water trade, climate change and irrigator adaptability in the Murray-Darling BasinSarah Wheeler, University of South AustraliaWater markets have been increasingly adopted by irrigators as a tool to manage water scarcity, but there is still much to learn about the relationship between water markets and farm and community viability and resilience. This project aims to understand more fully the relationship between water markets, irrigators’ adaptability, climate change and water reallocation. It will: review the ecological, social and economic consequences of water markets; explore how irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin use water trading to cope with reduced water allocations, investigate irrigator behaviour in water markets in the region under changing future climates and recommend ways to make water markets more efficient and effective.

For other fact sheets in this series or more information on NCCARF research, visit: www.nccarf.edu.au

Image Credits: Hai Linh Truong, Parthiban Amarasigamani, Ben Sollis

NCCARF RESEARCH RELATING TO VICTORIA